Naomi Campbell: Phone Basher?

Ex-employee claims supermodel hit her over head with telephone; sues for $8 million

By Joal Ryan Oct 23, 1998 2:50 PMTags
Did Naomi Campbell reach out and touch someone--kinda hard?

That's the claim of an ex-personal secretary who says the supermodel bopped her over the head--twice--with a telephone.

The complaint is included in an $8 million suit filed against the world-class clothes-wearer Thursday in New York, the New York Post reports.

In court papers, Georgina Galanis says her tenure of employment with Campbell left her with "severe injuries" and "severe mental distress."

Here's the kicker: Galanis worked for Campbell all of nine--count 'em, nine--days, the Post says.

This point is not lost on Campbell's camp. A spokeswoman tells the the newspaper: The charges "are nothing more than an attempt by a disgruntled former employee...to make money at Naomi's expense."

The spokeswoman says Galanis was fired after just one week due to "unsatisfactory performance."

The woman's lawsuit, not surprisingly, paints another picture.

Galanis' lawsuit says she began working for Campbell last September 1. By September 7, the catwalker was "willfully, wantonly, maliciously, recklessly and negligently" battering her secretary, the lawsuit charges.

Specifically, Galanis claims in court papers, that Campbell: (1) hit her over the head with a telephone (twice); (2) grabbed her neck; (3) slammed her against a wall.

All this, plus, Galanis says Campbell still owes her $1,461.54 in wages earned during that alleged week from hell.

Campbell's spokeswoman says the 28-year-old model plans to "vigorously," um, "fight" the allegations.